Cinema-Inspired Cocktails

Bartenders from Brisbane to New York City have dreamt up delicious cocktail recipes that make watching the Academy Awards at home enchanting.

By Kristine Hansen

What better way to celebrate this year’s glamorous Academy Awards then with some spectacular libations. Mix a cocktail inspired by this year’s Best Picture nominees or celebrate some cinematic moments from decades past by imbibing a beverage named after an old favorite flick. Bartenders from Brisbane to New York City have dreamt up delicious recipes that make watching the Academy Awards at home even more enchanting than sitting in the stadium with the stars—hopefully.

The Big LebowskiCourtesy of The Pub at Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco

Combine Courvoisier VSOP, tangerine juice, almond syrup and lemon juice. Shake well and pour over ice into a Collins glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a tangerine twist. You can also pour without ice into a champagne flute.

The Swan Song, inspired by “Black Swan” Courtesy of Madam Geneva, New York City

Combine all ingredients, shake and serve strained in a martini glass. Garnish with a flamed lemon twist. To make the lemongrass-thyme syrup, combine 2 quarts sugar, 2 quarts water, 7 pieces lemongrass and 3-5 sticks of fresh thyme in a pot. Bring to boil, then let sit for 5 hours before straining.

Blood & Sand, inspired by a 1922 film by the same name Courtesy of Polo Lounge inside Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, California